Automobile radiator cleaning device



Jan. 1, 1952 A. E. LAVENDER AUTOMOBILE RADIATOR CLEANING DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed Aug. 27, 1947 A. E. LAVENDER 2,580,800

AUTOMOBILE RADIATOR CLEANING DEVICE Jan.1,l952

Filed Aug. 27, 1947 ,2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 filing/enfer Patented Jan. 1, 1952 Unire-o stares PATENT orticaV Anthony E. Lavender, Hartford, Conn.

Application August 27, 1947, Serial No. 770,940

, 1 This invention relates to. a device for cleaning automobile radiators and similar devices by agitating the radiator in a tank of cleaning: solution. It is an object ci this invention to provide an agitator of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter for cleaning automobile radiators in which the radiatory is supported in a tank of cleaning solution on a carriage which is slidably mounted in the, tank. whereby the radiator is agitated for agitating the solution within the radiator so that the radiator may be thoroughly cleaned in a minimum length of time.

Another object of this invention is to provide an agitator of this kind which is so constructed and arranged that the radiator may be supported in a carriage on the. insidel of a fluid tank and means are provided for moving the carriage in reversing direction soy the radiator may be efficiently cleaned.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and as. more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,I

Figure l is a longitudinal section, partly broken away, of an agitator constructed according to an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is atop plan view', partly broken away and partly in section, of the .carriage within the cleaning tank,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section, partly broken away, showing Vtheconnection between the lever` and the carriage,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse section f taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the crankshaft and connections.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral designates generally a tank for containing a cleaning fluid for cleaning the radiators of automobiles or the like. The tank It is provided with an agitator I I for moving the radiator about within the tank, to provide for the thorough cleansing thereof. The normal methods of cleaning objects of this kind is to permit a cleaning fluid to soak in the channels and tubes of the radiator. The size of the objects is such as to preclude the ready agitating or shaking of the objects to permit a more thorough passage of the cleaning fluid throughout the tubes. With the use 'of a tank having an agitator of this kind, such large objects may readily be agitated while submerged in the cleaning uid. to provide for a more thorough cleansing.

s claims. (o1. 134-165) I 2 The tank It is formed of o u-ter walls Ilia which may -be made of concrete or other suitable .material. The walls II are lined with a metal lin ing. I2. A pair of oppositely disposed guide members I4 are secured to the bott-om wall I5. of the metal lining by welding i6, or other suitable fastening means.

The guides If are formed of L-shaped angle irons ll.. A pair of inwardly opening guides IA are xed on the opposite sides of the tank I0. A carriage i8 is slidably mounted Within the tank is on the rails. or guide members I4. The carnage I8v is also made oi channelled iron members i9 which form the outer members of the. frame.

Intermediate frame members 20 lare fixed' between the opposite horizontal side members of the carriage i8 in longitudinally spaced apart relationalong the length of the carriage. A-pair' of rollers "2l are rotatably mounted on the 4carriage I8 adjacent each end thereof. Each ofthe rollers 2| is engaged within one of the guide members i4. A lever 22 Ais rockably mounted within the tank lll on a brackety 2li which is iixed to oneof the vertical side walls of the lining I2. The bracket 24 is ormedoi a pair of spaced apart arms 25 between which the lever 22 is-eng-aged. 4The bight 26 of the bracket 2li is secured to the wall of the tank by welding A2l or'other suitable fastening means. g

A pin 28 engages through the arms 25and through the lever 22 intermediate its length. The arms of thev lever 2'2 on the'opposite sides of the pivot L18 are disposed in inwardly divergent relation to each other so that the pivot of the lever may be disposed as close as possiblelto the side wall while permitting the maximum amount of free movement of the'outer ends of thearms. One side wall of the tank I0 is formed"withl a horizontal opening 29 therethrough. A bearing or sealing member 3G is secured in the opening 29 at each end thereof. A shaft 3I is slidably disposed through the wall of the tank I0, engaging in the bearing 30. Each end of the shaft 3| is bifurcated to provide a pair of horizontal arms 32 at each end thereof. The arms 32 engage at one end of the shaft 3l on opposite sides of the lever 22 at its upper end.

A pin 34 engages between the arms 32 and is disposed within an elongated slot 35 formed in the upper end of the lever 22. The pin 34 is free to slide in the slot 35 on rocking of the lever 22 effected by sliding movement of the shaft 3I. A connecting rod 36 is pivotally connected between the arms 32 at the other end of the shaft 3| by a pivot pin 3l.

A crankshaft 38 is rotatably supported between a pair of oppositely disposed inverted V-shaped brackets 39. The crankshaft 38 is formed with a single offset 4U with which the other end of the connecting rod 36 is engaged. A pulley 4I is fixed on one portion of the crankshaft 38 coaxially with the bearings therefor.

A belt 42 or other flexible driving member is trainedabout the pulley 4I and about a pulley 44 fixed on the drive shaft of a motor 45. The motor 45 and the crankshaft bearings 39 are fixed securely on the upper end of a supporting stand 46 disposed adjacent the tank- I0. The lower end of the lever 22 is formed with an elongated slot 41. A pair of forwardly extending arms 48 are fixed on one end of the carriage I8 intermediate the width thereof.

A connecting pin 49 is fixed between the arms 48 and engages within the slot 41, whereby the carriage I8 may be rolled or slid along the length of the guide members I4 upon rocking of the lever 22 effected by rotation of the crankshaft 38.

In the use and operation of this cleaning device, lthe radiator or other large object is placed on the carriage I8 within the tank I0, which is filled` with a suitable cleaning fluid. When power is applied to the motor 45, the carriage I8 and the object disposed thereon will be agitated within the tank I for effecting the thorough cleaning of the object.

'Ido not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an open fluid tank, an article supporting member including a rectangular frame having an upstanding. flange formed on the marginal edges thereof, and a plurality of transverse supporting members having the opposite ends thereof secured to the side members of said frame, transverse axle members carried below said frame, rollers rotatably mounted on the opposite ends of said axles, guide means on the bottom of said tank and engaging said rollers, a lever rockably mounted intermediate the length thereof, on an end wall of said tank, means connecting one end of said lever and said frame, a shaft slidably extending through said end wall and having one end connected to the other end of said lever, and means connected to the other end of said shaft for reciprocating said shaft whereby an article positioned on said article supporting member will be reciprocated in said open fluid tank.

2. In combination, an open fluid tank, an article supporting member in said tank including a rectangular frame, and a plurality of' transverse bars fixed thereto, transverse axle members carried below said frame, rollers rotatably mounted on the opposite ends of said axles, angle members secured to the bottom of said tank and having upstanding flanges disposed outwardly of said rollers to provide guide means for said frame, a lever rockably mounted intermediate the length thereof on an end wall of said tank, means connecting one end of said lever and said frame, a shaft slidably extending through said end wall and having one end thereof connected to the other end of said lever, and reciprocating means connected to the outer end of said shaft whereby an article positioned on said article supporting member will be re cipocated in said open fluid tank.

3. In combination, an open fluid tank, an article suporting member in said tank including a rectangular frame, transverse axles carried below said frame, rollers rotatably mounted on the opposite ends of said axles, .guide means on the bottom of said tank including upstanding iianges on opposite sides of said rollers, a lever rockably mounted intermediate the length thereof on an end wall of said tank, longitudinal slots formed in said lever adjacent the respective ends thereof, a pin carried by one end of said frame and slidably engaging in one of said slots, a shaft slidably extending through an end wall of said tank, means on the inner end of said shaft slidably engaging in the other of said slots, and means connected to the outer end of said shaft, and adapted to cause reciprocation thereof whereby an article positioned on said article supporting member will be reciprocated in said open fluid tank.

ANTHONY E. LAVENDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 33,203 Martin Sept. 3, 1861 86,002 Coffman Jan. 19, 1869 982,578 Dilg Jan. 24, 1911 1,128,825 Troehler Feb. 16, 1915 1,211,985 Van Wyck Jan. 9, 1917 1,406,968 Blakeslee Feb. 21, 1922 1,427,877 Weeks Sept. 5, 1922 

